Looking for a nice reel

bassistjon112

bassistjon112

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Joined
Oct 5, 2009
Messages
192
Hello.o

So I'm looking to to get a new reel, some thing nice to balance out my rod. Ive tried the Prestige reel from Cabelas but the paint chips off way to easily and the drag loosens up really easily as well.

Right now I'm looking at this reel but I know nothing about the brand or the reel. It looks awesome but I don't know where i can get my hands on this reel to see if it balances out my rod. Any one own this reel?

Id say my price range is $150.00 and the reel is for a 5 weight rod. I'm looking for it to be a large arbor as well and light weight because my rod is pretty light. I don't want to over look the drag either, that's just as important as any other parts of the reel.

Thank you for any suggestions.

~Jon
 
Orvis Battenkill Mid-Arbor!
 
Ross Rhythm (west branch angler is clearing stock of them) or a Cabelas Watershed (same thing as the Rhythm), Orvis mid-arbor is nice. If you search ebay and are patient, you can find a Ross Evolution for that price, a Galvan Rush or sometimes a Galvan OB. Have you looked at the Reddington Rise or the Loomis Eastfork?

Rank what's most important to you... style, weight, line capacity, drag, durability? This may help with suggestions.
 
Hmm..

1. Syle- Large arbor, I like how it looks and the line doesn't coil as bad.

2. Weight- Must have a balanced rod. I seem to have more fun if its balanced right.

3. Drag- Gotta have a dependable drag. I have a Lamson Velocity and its drag is so nice. I think it set the bar so high for my standards of drag even though I rarely use it(9weight). I would never buy a reel that expensive.

4.Durability- Meaning the paint doesn't chip off, ha.

5. Line capacity- I don't really recall to many of the big fish Ive caught even reaching the backing.

Hope that helps.
 
Orvis is giving backing and Wonderline with most of their reels right now including the mid and large arbors. I have a few of the Battenkill Large Arbor reels and they are awesome except the drag is not sealed and tends to get debris in it when you abuse it. Guess I should not abuse it. As always, Orvis warranty is killer. Complain and get a new one or money back.
 
The deal they are offering is good but if the drag isn't sealed, no deal. You can get the wonderline for $12 on their site (I think). I had an old SA reel that wasn't sealed. Once it got wet, it free spooled. NEVER AGAIN will I deal with that mess.

Based on what you're saying, the Ross Rhythm or Cabelas Watershed should work for you. Made in the USA, lifetime warranty on Ross Reels, sealed and wide band of drag adjustment. The Reddington Rise is also pretty nice but I'd need to do a little research to see if the drag is sealed. If you're not in a rush, check ebay. I got 3 Ross Evolutions on there last fall. 1 was used for a 5 day trip to MT and the guy felt that hooking fish was cruel and was selling his stuff. Not a scratch on it and it had RIO windcutter line and backing... $145 incl shipping. Got another one that was new with RIO Grand line for $181 incl shipping. The last was a new, larger, blue reel and came with RIO Mainstream and I did pay $195 for that one. I did see a shop that was selling a Galvan Rush on there with a free fly line (up to $70 value). I know the reel is $199 with free shipping but if you were going to spend $50 on a line, still a deal.
 
So that drag issue is really a "drag?" har har har.


I don't need a line though, I have one. My old 5weight reel free spooled as well though so I want to stay away from that. Ill check out those reels thoroughly. I am going to Cabelas Friday to return some thing so I am going to check out the reels when in person when I'm there.
 
Jon,

You won't go wrong with the Allen Trout. As far as balance goes, its just a function of the mass of the reel. The Allen Trout weighs in at 5.41 ounces. Go to a retail outlet and see what weight reel balances your rod well. If its close to 5.5 ounces or a little under, get the Allen.

I fish the Allen XL series on my 5 weight at 5.29 ounces, but it looks to be temporarily discontinued pending a makeover. http://www.allenflyfishing.com/xl.html I love that reel!
 
Hi Jon - The Cabela's 5wt Prestige reel weighs 5.3 oz, and the Allen reel you linked to is 5.4 oz. Pretty close. Allen's products have received nothing but glowing reviews, so that might be a good choice, at a fair price.

You might want to check out the Lamson Konic 2.0 while you're at Cabela's. Same drag as your Lamson, and the finish is very durable. I have friends that have Konics, and they all love those reels.
 
Well I currently have the old prestige and tried the new prestige. They are both to slightly to heavy for the rod. But almost there as far as balance.

Ive also heard a not so glowing review about the linked reel saying the drag keeps failing, not saying who but this is what i heard.

The Ross evolution seems pretty awesome. Sight_Nymph, do you know if that reel has sealed drag? Since you own them how good of a reel are they?
 
my opinion, probably not worth much, but I'm giving it anyways, if you plan on keeping and using it for a while and plan on spending some decent dough on it, get something that's been in production for a while from a well known company. service and parts availability will be great for years to come. orvis, ross, hardy, etc, there are many more. might be a few bucks more and maybe not as flashy, but if you ever have a problem, even 20 years from now, these companies will(hopefully!) be there to help ya out.
the internet is great, do some research on the history of the companies you're looking to buy from.
 
Bikerfish,

That's a good thought to consider. Thank you for bringing that aspect to my attention. Ive been researching away checking out reel after reel after reel. So far Sage has been my least favorite.

I like the Ross evolution as far as looks but I don't know a whole lot about its performance.

And Orvis, if it wasn't for that non-sealed drag Id consider them.

I'm still checking out other reels right now. But with what you said I might consider spending a little more than my budget. Just don't tell any one I know or else they will think I'm crazy for spending that amount of dough on "fishing stuff." Ive heard enough of that in my short life.
 
As Sight advised the Cabelas Watershed is a Ross Rhythm and both are really, really nice reels. Sealed disk drags and just awesome. I have saw that Cabelas Watershed go down to as low as $99 but is currently $149.

The Ross Evolution LT is a newer introduction but highly regarded but exceeding your price range.

I agree with HA on the Lamson Konic 2.0. Definitely check that out when you are Cabelas.
 
I can attest that the allen reels ain't bad. But then again, what do I know? I'm not a big reel person.
 
I really don't think you need much drag on a 5wt real, sealed or not. if your catching fish that big on a 5wt, you need to step your gear up. saltwater, yep, need killer and indestructible drag. 5wt trout reel, nothing but a line holder.
 
Jdaddy,

I didn't like the Ross Rhythm as much as other reels but maybe my opinion will change when I actually see it. The Evolution is quite pricey I do agree on that. The Lamson Konic seems pretty nice though, I like that it has the same drag as one of my favorite reels.

Would Lamson fit into the dependable company category? Ive never had any problems with mine but then again Ive only used it a few times.
 
i can vouch for Allen & Co Reels. I have had a problem and Justin(owner) is/was all over it.. You could probably get away with calling him at 3am and he will fix what ever problem you have or question..

the reel i have the trout 5/7 I won at the Jam. It was one of the originals. I know he completely revamped the trout series so any problem i have had should be fixed.
 
Check out the Ross CLA 2 (Cimarron Large Arbor) Retails about $185. This reel weighs in at 4.7 oz. I have one of these and the finish is very tough. Mine still looks new even after several seasons on the water. It is American made and still in production.
 
Jon,

If you are going to Cabelas on Friday, look on the website before you leave. If you see any deal or something in the bargain cave link, print it out. They will price match in the store if they have the item or order it for you. The website price and store price are very different. I got the Watershed for $99 and it was $199 in store. Website was running a special. I'm really pleased with the reel. If I were going to spend 150 for a Watershed or a Rhythm, I'd get the Rhythm just for the warranty.

The Evolution is an sweet reel. They claim to be the lightest in the class. I have the older models and there are some differences between those and the LT's. The LT model has all metal parts where the older ones had plastic drag knob and spool release. Since th porting is done differently, it's actually cheaper than the previous models. Biker is also right on drag... if you aren't fishing light tippets and big fish that willl make runs, the drag isn't going to help you that much. You hook a steelie on your 5 wt, you'll wish that you had a reel with a great drag system.

I don't like the lamson reels because it's spool is more or less a compression fitting. Not that it will pop off but I just don't like that idea. I also believe that they are cast and not milled from a solid piece of metal. That's a huge difference in durability. Most Lamsons I've see (that have been used frequently) looked like they'd been through a war.

Check out that Reddington Rise and Loomis Eastfork when you're there. It'll be like finding the right woman..... you'll know it's "the one" as soon as you lay eyes on her.

I know a guide in Idaho and picked his brain over the winter because, like you, I was on a mission to get the best reel that I could afford. He said "If I were being flown into a remote region for a fishing trip and would have no contact for 14 days, the reel I'd want with me is a Bauer. Never seen one fail or ever had to return one. Second pick would be a tie between a Ross Evolution Galvan OB. Both are simple, solid and proven to last."

Well, the Bauer and Galvan reels are $350 and up. Like I said before, I got 2 Evolutions for close to $150 each on ebay and I think they were super good buys on my part. Take your time when choosing.
 
In the interest of passing on personal experience....

I own 11 Ross reels - Evolutions, Rhythms, Gunnisons, and a Cimmaron. Haven't had a single mechanical problem with any of them. They're all machined from barstock aluminum, with an anodized finish. Ross's anodizing isn't the most durable finish on the market. They all scratch easily. The older style Evolutions are delicate. Drop one, and you'll see what I mean. The spools are very thin, and bend easily - they then rub on the frame. They're great performance-wise though, and very lightweight. I actually prefer the Rhythms, as they're a little beefier.

I bought a Lamson Litespeed when they first came out. The drag failed - twice. The problem was in the material the Torrington roller clutch was made from - it wasn't corrosion proof. I sold that one on ebay after the second failure was "fixed".

The new Lamsons use a stainless clutch that has been very dependable. Some Lamsons also have a new finish called "hard alox" that is easily the best reel finish available. You can scratch it with a nail, and the finish can be cleaned off with a Scotchbrite pad. It then looks like new. Very tough stuff.

All Lamsons are machined from barstock aluminum, except the Konic. The Konic is pressure cast, then machined. It also doesn't have the hard alox finish, but it's still tougher than Ross's type 3 anodizing.

I too was leery about the way Lamson uses an o-ring to hold the spool on, but it's been proven to hold up. The only problems arise when you change spools a lot. With just occasional spool changes, I haven't had any problems at all. Both Ross and Lamson guarantee their reels for life, but Ross's Worldwide reels have a lesser warranty.

Here's a pretty interesting video about Lamson reels.....

Hope all this helps in your decision, Jon.
 
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